Back-band hook



, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

or CARLTON, TEXAS.

BACK-BAND HOOK.

SPEOIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,251, dated October 11, 1898.

Application filed August 30, 1897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ELBER'I LYNCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Carlton, in the county of Hamilton and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Back-Band Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a novel back-band hook by means of which the trace-chains may be adjusted to fit a draft-animal of any size without moving the back-band out of place, and by means of which the chains may be raised or lowered to facilitate deep or shallow plowing.

To the perfection of a device of this character my invention consists in providing a base-plate designed to be attached to the back-band with a series of graduated hooks provided with a swinging keeper common to all of said hooks and designed to permit the chain to be adjusted at any particular point upon the base-plate by engaging any of the several hooks mounted thereon.-

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a general view showing the application of my device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, the keeper being shown elevated. Fig. 3 is a front view of the subject-matter of Fig. 2.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates the back-baud of a harness, to which is secured adjacent to its opposite ends a pair of back-band hooks constructed in accordance with my invention;

Referring to a detailed description of the hook, 2 indicates a base-plate of my hook slightly curved longitudinally and provided with heads 3, apertured at 4 for the reception of securing-pins, rivets, bolts, or the like.

4. indicates a pair of substantially parallel bearing-lugs adjacent to one end of the baseplate, within which is pivoted an elongated keeper 5, provided with projections 6, located correlative with a series of bifurcated hooks 7, extending along the base-plate from end to end and between the bifurcations of which the keeper is designed to be received, the projections 6 thereon extending to the base of said bifurcations and retaining the keeper at a sufficient distance from the base-plate to accommodate the links of the chain.

8 indicates a pair of locking-lugs at the end Serial No. 650,004. (No model.)

of the base-plate 2 opposite the bearing-lugs, and between which the extremity of the keeper is designed to be secured, as by a locking-pin 9, passed transversely through said locking-lugs and the end of the keeper. It will be readily observed that when it is desired to adjust the draft-chains with respect to the back-band it is simply necessary to withdraw the pin 9, swing the keeper outwardly, and insert the chain in the proper hook. The keeper is then swung back to its normal position between the bifurcations of the hooks and is locked in place by the replacement of the locking-pin, and the chain is effectually secured in its adjusted position.

While I have illustrated and described my invention as applicable to harness, it is obvious that it may be employed in various other connections without departing from the spirit of my invention, and while I believe the construction of my device illustrated and described to constitute a preferable construction I do not desire to limit myself to the structural details set out, but reserve the right to change, modify, or vary them at will within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a base-plate, of a series of vertically-alined hooks carried thereby arranged in parallel pairs by the formation of intervening spaces or bifurcations between them, and a single elongated keeper hinged at its upper end and of a thickness equal to thespaces between the hooks of each pair, the said keeper being provided with alter nate projections and recesses, the said projections extending into the spaces or bifurcations between said pairs of hooks and the keeper as an entirety, removably closing all of the hooks and a means as a key or pin for securing its lower end, whereby an adjustment of an engaging device with the said hooks may be attained at varying elevations.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN ELBERT LYNCH.

Witnesses:

J. G. FLACK, WILsON MoKENzIE. 

